Fatal Exposure

by Gail Barrett

  “That’s better.” A triumphant smile slashed Hoffman’s face. “You always did obey orders.”

  Like a fool. “I trusted you. I thought you were an honest man. But you used me for your own sick ends.”

  “I only wanted you to bring her in. That’s all. I tried to warn you about her. I said she’d manipulate you. But you didn’t listen...and now I don’t have a choice.”

  Brynn went still. Her gaze snapped to his, the shock over his betrayal edging out her fear. Parker’s stomach took a sudden dive. “It’s not what you think,” he told her.

  “You lied to me.” The pain in her voice ripped through his heart.

  He couldn’t deny it. Any attempt to justify his behavior would only seem like a lame excuse. But he had intended to tell her; he’d just wanted to do it at a better time, when he could explain how his opinion of her had changed, how he admired her, cared for her.

  How he loved her.

  But he’d waited too long. And now that she’d learned the truth from Hoffman, she’d never believe him again.

  Their eyes remained locked. And suddenly he knew what he had to do. He had to prove that he hadn’t betrayed her. He had to give her a chance to survive.

  He lunged toward his boss. Hoffman swiveled his gun his way.

  And fired.

  * * *

  Brynn screamed. She stared at Parker aghast as he staggered another step forward, then stopped and slumped to the floor. He’d just forfeited his life to save her. He was giving her a chance to get free. But she refused to leave him at this madman’s mercy, no matter how much his betrayal stung.

  Jerking herself into action, she shoved away from Hoffman and whipped around. Then she slammed her foot behind his knee, causing him to fall down.

  But he wouldn’t stay down for long.

  She dove for Parker’s gun, managing to wrap her hands around it just as another shot rang out, the earsplitting bang reverberating through her skull. She rolled over and swung around, feeling as if time had slowed to a standstill, and squeezed off a shot. Hoffman dove behind a chair.

  Scrambling to her feet, she glanced at Parker. He lay facedown on the floor, blood pooling around him, groaning with pain. Desperation drummed inside her. She had to help him. She had to stanch the bleeding and rush him to the hospital before he died.

  But she had to stop Hoffman first. She had to get him away from this bedroom before he finished Parker off.

  Banking that Hoffman would try to stop her, she bolted through the doorway into the next room, skidding on the wooden floor. His footsteps pounded behind her. His gun barked out, and she flinched, but the shot went wild.

  She whirled around and fired back. Her aim was off, but it made him dive into the kitchen, giving her time to scramble behind the couch. Dumb, she realized, gasping for breath. A bullet would go straight through the sofa. She had to get to the door.

  “Stop,” her stepfather called out. “I’m not trying to hurt you.”

  Hysteria burbled inside her. He’d kidnapped her at gunpoint. He’d knocked her out, slamming his fist into her face when she’d tried to escape. He’d just shot Parker and was trying to murder her. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “I never wanted to hurt you,” he said. “I loved you.”

  Love? She shuddered, totally repulsed. “Torture isn’t love.”

  “You liked my games. You know you did. You begged me to play with you.”

  Her face turned hot. Her vision hazed. Fury scorched through her veins, nearly incinerating what remained of her self-restraint. But this wasn’t the time to lose control, not when Parker needed her help. Struggling to harness her temper, she gauged the distance to the door, but she knew she’d never get that far.

  “I did everything for you,” he continued. “You were my little angel, the one I loved. But then you ruined everything.” Rage hardened his voice. “You told lies. You ran away. I loved you, and you lied about me.”

  Revolted, she thinned her lips. This man had raped her. He’d robbed her of her innocence in the most despicable of ways. But she couldn’t let him distract her. Parker was dying in the other room. She had to lure Hoffman away from Parker and summon aid.

  “I didn’t want to hurt you,” Hoffman said. “But you ruined everything. You didn’t give me a choice. I had to get Parker to bring you in.”

  His voice was getting nearer. He was crawling across the room. Panic morphed into a frenzy inside her. She had to get out now!

  Summoning her courage, she lifted her head. She spotted him creeping toward the sofa and fired. He wheeled back, clutching his arm, and howled. Her palms so slick she could hardly grip the gun, she squeezed off another round.

  She missed.

  Knowing he’d recover at any second, she leaped toward the cabin’s door. She flung it open and lunged outside but missed the step and fell. Landing on her injured shoulder she let out a strangled cry. Then she stumbled upright in a surge of adrenaline and whirled around.

  Hoffman slumped against the door frame. Trembling wildly, she raised her weapon and squeezed the trigger—but there was an empty click. She’d run out of ammunition.

  And she didn’t have any more rounds.

  Hoffman smiled, a maniacal look filling his eyes. He lifted his gun and took aim. She turned and fled just as the shot went rocketing past. She tripped over a tree root and sprawled facedown again.

  Oh, God. He was going to catch her. He lurched down the porch steps. Frantic, she jumped up and raced into the woods, running for her life—just like Erin Walker had.

  And just like Erin, Brynn needed to reach the lookout tower. The cops would be waiting there. If she could just hold on long enough to find them, she could alert them to the danger and make sure Parker survived.

  Trees rose up in her path, and she swerved around them. Low-hanging branches tore at her face and hair. She plunged through stands of brush, stumbling over logs and rocks, trying desperately to escape. But which way was the lookout tower? Without any light to guide her, she was running blind.

  Then suddenly something darted into her path. Unable to turn in time, she collided with it headlong. A child. Thrown off balance, Brynn fell into a pile of brush, her head smacking against a rock. Pain scorched through her scalp, and she cried out.

  The child flailed and kicked beneath her, finally breaking free. They both scrambled to their feet, and Brynn recognized the missing girl.

  A crashing noise rose behind them. Hoffman was only steps away.

  “I’m a friend. I’ll help you. Follow me!” Brynn urged and took off running again. The girl sprinted behind her, keeping up despite her smaller size. Seconds later, Brynn reached the creek and plowed across, the frigid water icing her feet. She slipped on a rock and nearly fell, then clawed her way up the opposite bank, pure panic driving her on.

  “Help!” the girl called out.

  Brynn stopped and whirled around, her breath sawing loudly in the air. Moonlight seeped through the trees, enabling her to see. The child was on her hands and knees in the rushing stream, struggling to rise. Hoffman burst through the trees and stopped.

  He raised his gun, aiming at the fallen girl, and Brynn gaped at him in shock. He wasn’t human. Even a gunshot wound hadn’t brought him down. But she’d die before she let him harm that child.

  Her fury exploding, she picked up a rock and hurled it with all her might, ignoring the sharp pain searing her arm. The rock glanced off his shoulder, not hard enough to stop him, but enough to make him jerk back. The bullet thudded into a tree.

  The girl made it to her feet. She stumbled out of the creek and ran toward Brynn just as Hoffman took aim again. Brynn shoved the girl behind her, but she knew that she’d reached the end. She couldn’t escape death this time.

  His weapon jammed.

  A stunned look crossed his face. He looked down in disbelief, then let loose with a torrent of obscenities as he fumbled to clear the jam. The magazine dropped out, spilling rounds on the forest floor. Brynn s
pun on her heels, nearly weeping with relief, and ran.

  Careful to keep the child with her, she angled through the woods toward the lookout tower, desperate to reach the police. She shoved through a patch of brambles, nearly collided with a boulder and tripped over logs and vines.

  Her lungs burned. She could hardly wheeze in a fiery breath. Then she staggered into the clearing by the lookout tower, the absolute mayhem catching her off guard. Red-and-blue lights flashed in the darkness. Emergency vehicles and squad cars surrounded the tower. Cops swarmed the area in bulletproof vests and SWAT gear, shouting orders. Their radios squawked and blared.

  “Help!” she cried, stumbling to a halt. She pulled the girl close to protect her and whipped around. “He’s coming! He’s got a gun!” Several officers rushed to their side.

  Then Hoffman burst through the trees.

  “Watch out!” she screamed, and the officers drew their guns.

  But Hoffman was no longer armed. He raised his hands, causing the cops to hold their fire. He swayed for a moment, the colored lights illuminating his face, then sank to the ground. Dozens of officers raced over, shouting for medical help.

  Brynn’s knees wobbled, threatening to collapse. “Are you all right, ma’am?” an officer asked her.

  “I’m fine, but—”

  “This woman’s bleeding!” the man shouted over the noise. “We need an EMT here!”

  “No, I’m fine. But Parker...” The memory of his betrayal sliced through her, but she shoved it aside. “He’s at the cabin. That way.” She motioned toward the woods. “You have to hurry. He’s been shot!”

  “We’ll find him.”

  More radios crackled. Sirens rose in the night. Several officers took off running through the woods while others piled into cars. As Brynn watched in a daze, medical personnel loaded Hoffman onto a gurney, and started wheeling him her way.

  But a woman in a uniform stepped into their path, causing them to stop. She was tall, middle-aged, so thin she was almost gaunt. Lieutenant Lewis, Brynn guessed, judging by the authority in her stance. The woman Parker had called for help.

  “Colonel Hoffman,” she said, her voice sharp. “You’re under arrest.”

  Hoffman raised his head from the gurney. His eyes met the lieutenant’s and filled with fear. He let out an anguished moan.

  So he realized he wasn’t going to escape. It was about time he suffered for his crimes.

  “Where are you taking him?” Lieutenant Lewis asked an EMT.

  “Meritus Hospital in Washington County. They’ll probably fly him to Shock Trauma in Baltimore from there.”

  “Fine.” She turned to another cop. “Read him his rights on the way.”

  She turned her attention to Brynn, who was still hugging the terrified girl. “Are you all right?”

  Brynn managed a nod, but the pain pulsing through her shoulder halted her breath. “Parker—”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get him.” Lieutenant Lewis signaled to the EMT. “Take these two to the hospital.” Pulling out her radio, she strode away.

  Several officers surrounded the gurney, along with the ambulance personnel. Hoffman rolled his head as they pushed him past, and, without warning, his eyes met hers. And for a moment, time ground to a halt. She stared into the eyes of the man who’d abused her, a hollowed-out feeling inside. This man had terrorized her for decades. He’d stolen her innocence, done despicable, evil things to her that no child should have to endure. He’d forced her into a life on the run, a precarious existence of desperation, violence and fear—all because of his perverted needs.

  Defeated, he looked away. The men closed around him, then loaded him into the waiting ambulance. Brynn eased out her breath as they put on the siren and drove away.

  His reign of terror had come to an end.

  And she was finally free.

  Chapter 16

  Exhausted, Brynn slumped in a padded armchair inside Parker’s room at the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore the following afternoon. She could hardly keep her eyes open after the grueling night she’d had. After her rescue, she’d spent hours giving statements to both the Washington County and Baltimore police, relating her story about Hoffman and his history of abuse. She’d also relayed Parker’s suspicions about Delgado, who seemed to have disappeared. Thankfully, the police had believed her. Lieutenant Lewis had agreed to bring Delgado in for questioning, assuming they could find him first.

  Brynn stifled a yawn, the movement causing her injured shoulder to throb inside its sling. She’d escaped their ordeal without major injuries. Aside from gashing her scalp, she’d partially torn the tendons and inflamed the bursa around her rotator cuff—thus the sling. After a few weeks of painkillers, anti-inflammatory medication and rest, her shoulder would heal just fine.

  Too bad she couldn’t say the same about her heart.

  Sighing, she gazed at Parker as he slept in the hospital bed. His thick black hair was mussed, his unshaven jaw coated with stubble, his eyelashes dark against his too-pale skin. He had an IV taped to one arm, his shoulder heavily bandaged where he’d been shot. His breath rasped in the quiet air.

  Both Parker and Hoffman had been flown to Baltimore during the night. They’d both undergone surgery, and both were expected to survive. Hoffman was down the hall, under arrest in a guarded room, while Parker recovered in his.

  She picked up his heavy hand, taking in the warmth of his skin, the rough calluses on his palms, the sinews and tendons standing out on his muscled arms. Her gaze traveled from the stark white bandages on his shoulder to the alluring hollow at the base of his throat, and her heart made a sudden lurch. How he could manage to look sexy in a hospital gown, she didn’t know. But instead of appearing weak and vulnerable, he looked even more virile, like everything she’d ever wanted in a man.

  If only he hadn’t lied.

  Her emotions suddenly chaotic, she placed his hand on the starched white sheet. Then she leaned back in her seat and gazed at his face, lingering on his slashing black brows, his sensual mouth, his rough-hewn features now slack with sleep. He’d lied, all right—a detail she’d avoided thinking about until now. But she couldn’t put it off anymore.

  A heavyset nurse in blue-flowered scrubs entered the room just then, her sneakers squeaking on the linoleum floor. Brynn exhaled at the timely reprieve.

  “Good afternoon,” the nurse said with a pleasant smile. “How’s our patient?”

  “Still asleep.”

  Making a noncommittal sound, she set her laptop on a high, roller-wheeled table and plugged it in. Then she frowned at Parker’s chart.

  Brynn waited for several heartbeats, her anxiety mounting when the nurse didn’t say anything. She studied the crease puckering the nurse’s brow, the way she worried her plump bottom lip with her upper teeth. Her chubby fingers tapped on the keyboard, the soft clicks adding to Brynn’s strained nerves.

  “Is everything all right?” she finally asked, unable to bear the suspense.

  The nurse tore her gaze from the computer, and her eyes crinkled into a smile. “He’s fine. You don’t need to worry about him. He’s young and strong. He’s going to recover in no time.”

  Brynn inched out her pent-up breath. “How long will he be in the hospital?”

  “You’ll have to ask the doctor, but probably a week. He’ll have to wear a sling for a couple of months after that. And he’ll need physical therapy down the road. But barring complications, he’ll be just fine.”

  Brynn leaned back in her chair, relieved. No matter how complicated their relationship, she couldn’t stand the thought of him suffering—or worse.

  The nurse checked his vital signs and changed the bag on his IV. Then she picked up her laptop and turned to go. “There’s coffee at the nurses’ station if you’d like some,” she offered with another smile.

  Brynn thanked her, and she left the room, her shoes squeaking as she retreated down the hall. Alone now, Brynn turned her gaze to the monitors beside the bed. Numbers flash
ed across one screen. Lines zigzagged across another, recording Parker’s heartbeat, rhythmic and steady and strong. And she realized the time had come. She couldn’t avoid the topic she’d danced around for hours—Parker’s deception—no matter how much it hurt. She had to confront the truth.

  Parker had been working for Hoffman. Hoffman had asked him to bring her in. She didn’t want to believe it. Even now, the betrayal flayed her, slashing through the illusions she’d built about this man.

  But the reality was that he’d deceived her. Badly. Maybe he hadn’t lied outright, but neither had he revealed the truth. He’d told her about his father’s corruption. He’d confessed his feelings of failure and the pain he’d suffered at Tommy’s death. And he’d made love to her, touching her in ways no one else ever had.

  But he’d concealed the one thing that really mattered, his relationship to her stepfather, even after she’d told him about the abuse.

  No, he’d done worse than that. He’d intentionally misled her. He’d known she was Hoffman’s stepdaughter from the start. She’d ignored the signs, but now that she thought back, she didn’t have any doubt. He’d kept their connection secret, despite multiple opportunities to reveal the truth.

  Closing her eyes, she massaged the ache between her brows. In some ways, she didn’t blame him. Hoffman put on a convincing act. He’d fooled Brynn’s mother. He’d fooled her elementary school teachers and the various social workers who’d filed through her life. He’d even fooled the people he worked with, impressing Senator Riggs so much that the senator was backing his political career. And Parker respected authority. He believed in following the rules. Of course he’d trust his boss.

  She opened her eyes and gazed at Parker, a tumult of emotions crowding her throat. She couldn’t forget that he’d saved her life. He’d battled the gang members in that drive-by shooting. He’d saved her from the police. And now he’d taken a bullet for her, nearly dying on her behalf.

  Even more disturbed now, she rose and went into the hall. A grim-faced doctor hurried past. People crowded around the nurses’ station down the hall. A voice came over the PA system, calling for a doctor stat.